Garment for infant of crawling stage



April 16; 1963 P. BENSON 3,085,248

GARMENT FOR INFANT 0F CRAWLINGSTAGE Filed June 6. 1960 INVENTOR.

LOU/5E I? BE SON ATTORNEYS United States Patent f 3,085,248 GARMENT FOR INFANT 0F CRAWLING STAGE Louise P. Benson, 1023 Leona Court, San Jose, Calif. Filed June 6, 1960, Ser. No. 34,062 2 Claims. (Cl. 2--80) The present invention relates to garments, and pertains more particularly to a garment for infants of the crawling stage.

Most infants from the age at which they start to crawl until they can walk quite well are a serious problem to their mothers, who not only have the matter of diapers to consider, during this period, but also the matter of keeping the child clean and presentable.

The present invention provides a garment which is cute and attractive, and, more importantly, which protects the child and keeps it, and whatever clothing it may be wearing, clean.

The invention also provides a garment which can be worn by an infant either with or without other clothing, and which will not endanger the infant or its movements.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified garment for infants of the crawling stage.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a garment embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view in reduced scale showing an infant wearing the garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the child of PEG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the child crawling.

Briefly, the illustrated form of the invention comprises a garment A especially suited for infants of the diaperwearing crawling age. The garment A comprises an integrated single panel for covering the front of the child and formed of upper and lower portions connected to each other and both being substantially flat and backless. The upper portion functions as a bib element adapted to cover the chest and abdomen of the child and the lower portion is adapted to cover the front of the thighs or upper legs and terminates at its bottom in bifurcated extensions each of which is adapted to cover the knee and shin, i.e., the front, of one lower leg. A calf-encircling member in the form of a loop of appreciable height or length is sewed to the back of each extension and is adapted to extend from just above the knee of the wearer substantially down to the ankle. These loops cooperate with the extensions to provide a pair of substantially full length lower leg enclosures, somewhat in the nature of pants legs, each of which encircles a leg without binding, yet with suifi ciently full fit to permit the childs lower leg to he slipped upwardly out from the loop preparatory to diaper changing when the child is laid on its back and the leg is bent at the knee and pushed up while the end of the garment is pulled down.

In the accompanying drawings it is seen that the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a bib portion with a neck band 11 having a snap fastener 12 for securing the neck band around a childs neck (FIG. 2). A chaps-like portion 13 is attached to the lower edge of the bib portion 10, and the lower end of this lower portion is divided into two leg portions 14 and 15. A pair of wide leg loops 17 and 18 are provided, one on the rear side of each leg portion. A belt 19 is provided on the lower end of the bib portion 10, with a snap fastener 20 for fastening the belt around a childs waist.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the bib portion 10 is of a width to cover and protect the front upper torso of a child wearing the garment. The decorative neck 3,085,248 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 band 11 is sewn onto the upper end of the bib portion, which is formed with a rounded notch 21 to receive it. The ends of the neck band 11 are provided with suitable fastening means, such as the conventional snap fastener 12.

One end of the belt 19 is attached to one side of the lower end of the bib portion 10, and said belt is of a length to extend around the body of a child wearing the garment. Suitable fastening means, such as the usual snap fastener 20, is provided on the belt 19.

The chaps-like lower portion 13 is attached co-extensiveice - 1y, as by sewing 16, to the lower edge of the bib portion 10, and is undivided down to a point 22, which is intended to come slightly below the crotch of a child wearing the garment. From this point 22 on downwardly the lower portion 13 is divided into the two leg portions 14 and 15.

The two sides of the chaps-like lower portion are preferably made of two similar, but opposite, pieces of fabric 13a and 13b. These two pieces are sewed together at 16', and suflicient fullness is provided above the division point 22 to cause the material to curve inwardly around the childs thighs. This fullness gives an improved, trouser like appearance to the garment, and makes it easier for the child to move its legs.

The two leg encircling loops 17 and 18 are attached one to the inner edge of each leg portion 14 and 1 5, and extend lengthwise of each leg portion from a distance slightly above the lower edge of each leg portion to a point slightly below the crotch division 12. The outer edge of each leg loop is secured to the rear side of its respective leg portion a few inches inwardly from the latters outer edge. Each leg receiving loop is made sufiiciently full to permit it to encircle a childs leg without binding.

When a garment A is placed on a child as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the leg loops 17 and 18 preferably extend from just above the childs knees to its ankles, while the leg portions 14 and 15 extend down approximately to the top of the childs insteps. The garment preferably is made of a waterproof material, such as, for example, sheet plastic or plastic coated cloth or leatherette. A fringe 23 may be provided along the outer edge of each of the leg portions for decorative purposes and to give the leg portions the appearance of cowboys chaps. Various other decorations and designs may also be provided as desired by one conversant with the making of childrens clothing.

The invention provides a garment which is suitable for wear by either male or female infants, and regardless of what other clothing the infant may have on under the present garment. For example, if the garment A is worn by a little girl, her dresses will be raised sufficiently by the leg loops 17 and 18 so that she can crawl about without interference from her dresses. Otherwise, when a child attempts to crawl when wearing a dress only, she will crawl onto her dress and this anchors her from further forward movement.

The garment A can also be worn over other garments, such as pajamas, and in hot weather simply over a diaper. It protects the child from food spilled while eating or regurgitating, and also protects the child and keeps it and its clothing clean while crawling or playing.

For changing the diaper of a child wearing the garment A, the child can be laid on its back, its legs slipped out of the leg loops 17 and 18, the diaper changed and the legs reinserted in the leg loops.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive garment which can be worn by a child at any time, from the time it gets up in the morning until it goes to bed at night.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

' 3 Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by-Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. A protective garment foran infant of diaper-wearing crawling age comprising- 'a--front panel having upper and lower portions integrally connected to each other and bothbeing substantially fiat and -backless, said upper portion comprising a bib adapted to cover the chest and abdomen of the wearer and having means extending around the back of the wearer for holding it in place and said lower portion being adapted to cover the front of the upper legs of the wearer and having lower-bifurcated extensions adapted to provide a pair of coverings for the knees and shins, and a pair of calf-encircling loops sewed to thebacks of said extensions adapted to extend from just above'the knees of the wearer to substantially the ankles and cooperating with the extensions to provide a pair of substantially full length lower leg enclosures which are readily removablefor diaper changing by laying the wearer on its back and slipping the lower legs upwardly out from the loops.

2. A protective garment for an infant as claimed in claim 1 in which the outer edges of the loops aresewed to the knee and shin coverings substantially inwardly from the outer edges of the coverings, whereby the coverings flare outwardly beyond the legs of the wearer in the manner of chaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ,153,909 Hanes Sept. 21, 1915 1,4 24,013- Hale July 25, 1922 1,788,195 Iskin Jan. 6, 1931 2565;739 Pointe'n Aug. 28, 1951 2,898,597 Patterson Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 456,037 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1936 

1. A PROTECTIVE GARMENT FOR AN INFANT OF DIAPER-WEARING CRAWLING AGE COMPRISING A FRONT PANEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND BOTH BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND BACKLESS, SAID UPPER PORTION COMPRISING A BIB ADAPTED TO COVER THE CHEST AND ABDOMEN OF THE WEARER AND HAVING MEANS EXTENDING AROUND THE BACK OF THE WEARER FOR HOLDING IT IN PLACE AND SAID LOWER PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO COVER THE FRONT OF THE UPPER LEGS OF THE WEARER AND HAVING LOWER BIFURCATED EXTENSIONS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF COVERINGS FOR THE KNEES AND SHINS, AND A PAIR OF CALF-ENCIRCLING LOOPS SEWED TO THE BACKS OF SAID EXTENSIONS ADAPTED TO EXTEND FROM JUST ABOVE THE KNEES OF THE WEARER TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE ANKLES AND COOPERATING WITH THE EXTENSIONS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FULL LENGTH LOWER LEG ENCLOSURES WHICH ARE READILY REMOVABLE FOR DIAPER CHANGING BY LAYING THE WEARER ON ITS BACK AND SLIPPING THE LOWER LEGS UPWARDLY OUT FROM THE LOOPS. 